The usefulness of an earphone-type infrared tympanic thermometer during cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass: clinical report

Abstract

We evaluated the usefulness of a novel earphone-type infrared tympanic thermometer (IRT) during cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Tympanic membrane temperature (T(Tym)) was monitored using the IRT inserted into the right ear canal of 12 adult patients (ASA III) who had been scheduled for elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass under general anesthesia. Rectum (T(Rec)) and nasopharyngeal temperatures (T(Naso)) were also monitored, and all temperatures were recorded at 5-min intervals during cardiopulmonary bypass. Operating room temperature was kept at 20°-27°C; a conductive warming/cooling system was used to control the patient's body temperature. Of 265 measurements obtained, body temperature range was 31.6°-37.6°C. No complications were related to site of insertion of the monitoring probe. Significant correlations were seen between T(Tym) and T(Naso) (r = 0.971, P < 0.001), and T(Tym) and T(Rec) (r = 0.759, P < 0.001). A Bland-Altman plot showed that average temperature of T (Tym) was 0.06°C above T(Naso) (±0.66°C, 2 SD) and 0.12°C below T(Rec) (±1.78°C, 2 SD). We conclude that an earphone-type IRT is noninvasive and hygienic and could continuously evaluate selective cerebral temperature during cardiopulmonary bypass in adults.

Assessment of Alternative Body Points for Temperature Screening As Precautionary Screening During the Pandemic Using Infrared Thermometry

“…The results revealed excellent accuracy comparable to tympanic temperature, with clinically sufficient precision. The accuracy and precision of infrared tympanic thermometers have also been previously reported by Kiya et al and Masamune et al, and the results were in agreement with the results we noted in our study [25,26].…”

Clinical accuracy of non-contact forehead infrared thermometer and infrared tympanic thermometer in postoperative adult patients: A comparative study.

“…The results revealed excellent accuracy comparable to tympanic temperature, with clinically sufficient precision. Good accuracy and precision of infrared tympanic thermometers has been previously reported (Kiya et al 2007, Masamune et al 2011), and the results were in agreement with previous results.…”

Non-invasive and long-term core temperature measurement

“…Even predictive mathematical modeling has been applied to connect temperature with prognosis [14] although the statistically significant correlations remain elusive. Most tested prototypes have margins of error that could easily conceal the onset of a fever [2,3,15] and the most successful attempts of accurate non-invasive measurements are constrained to highly controlled operating room conditions [8,16,17]. No tested and published concept to date has been able to combine non-invasiveness and accuracy that would allow a person to be unencumbered in daily activity and collect meaningful data for periods of time on the order of weeks.…”